Navigating Maternity Leave Extensions: How Can I Manage with a 3-Month-Old Baby?

I have joined as a senior research fellow at the National Institute on 30 May 2018, and my tenure ended on 30 May 2019. I gave birth to a girl child on 24 Feb 2019. I got maternity leave until my tenure ended, i.e., 30 May 2019. I have applied for the extension of my services in the institute, for which I have received approval. Can you please suggest any clause in the Maternity Benefit Act for the extension of my maternity leave as I am unable to attend duties with a 3-month-old child.

Dear Sujatha, when did you come to know about the approval for the extension of your tenure? You could have applied immediately for the extension of maternity leave. Anyway, even now you may apply for the extension of maternity leave. Since the delivery is already over, you may submit the certificate from the hospital authorities regarding your delivery. If you have obtained the birth certificate for the newborn child from the local municipal office, then you may attach that as well.

Please address your application to the head of the institute; however, route your application through the proper channel.

By the way, the heading of your post is misleading. Your maternity leave was sanctioned until the end of your tenure. Therefore, the authorities cannot be blamed per se for not adhering to the provisions of the Maternity Benefits Act, 1961. If you were not eligible to get maternity leave after 30th May 2019, then how could the approving authorities have sanctioned it? The institute authorities have done the best they could.

Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar